Srinagar: The Government of India has accorded sanction for prosecution of Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, an IAS officer of erstwhile cadre of Jammu & Kashmir, for his alleged complicity in the infamous arms licence scam.
Reports suggest that the Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel & Training, GoI, has conveyed to Vishal Sharma, Deputy Solicitor General of India, that it has accorded sanction for the prosecution of Kumar Rajeev Ranjan in the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2018.
“I am directed to refer to your email dated 23.12. 2024 on the subject mentioned above and to say that an order, conveying a grant of sanction against Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, IAS, in CBI RCCHGO51201850007, under section 6 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006(1949 A.D) for alleged offences under section 5(2) PC Act, 2006(1949 A.D.) has already been issued on 28. 11. 2004 with the approval of the competent authority,” reads the communique.
It is pertinent to mention that an arms licence scam involving deputy commissioners of Jammu & Kashmir was unearthed by the Rajasthan ATS in 2017.
The case was being probed by the J&K Police and was handed over to CBI by then-Governor N N Vohra.
The investigation revealed that arms licences in bulk were issued by the then deputy commissioners in J&K to non-residents on forged documents.
Between 2012 and 2016, deputy commissioners of various districts in J&K, had fraudulently and illegally issued bulk arms licences in lieu of monetary consideration, the probe found.
